Pricing us out of the Happiest Place on Earth

You may think you've exhausted it all on BP, Michelle Obama's Spain vacation and the bank that won't give you that loan modification, but save some recession anger this summer for the Capitalist Pig Mouse.

The summer ritual of ticket price hikes at Walt Disney World in Orlando came and went last week, which means a family of four can now attend a day living the Disney dream for the cost of an organ transplant.

Those wacky imagineers have imagined that the recession is over and we now have money to spare. A one-day adult ticket price, as of last week, is a staggering $82. Kids – who cease to be children at age 10, when they begin paying the adult fare and, according to Disney logic, might as well drink booze and get drafted – will now pay $74.

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Disney fans (all 3 of them left) claim that this will only encourage more families to buy multi-day passes and save money in the long run by staying an entire week. This is the same kind of argument my 11-year-old daughter tries to use on me at Justice when she rationalizes that I will save money by buying more over-priced, over-stuffed training bras to make the "buy 12 get one free" deal.

Jiminy Effin Cricket, we're all barely hanging on by our polish-flaked fingernails in this nightmare economy and Disney still thinks it's OK to kick us in the pants? Since 1988, Disney World has raised its one-day ticket price EVERY year. We're almost paying double for a one-day admission pass today compared to the $46 general admission that was charged only 10 years ago. That's not including taxes and parking, not to mention the over-priced, lousy food.

At this rate, the one-day ticket will hit $100 by 2013. Why? Because they can. Universal, which apparently has no imagination, played follow the leader last week and upped its single day ticket to $82, too. (Trying to keep us Mudbloods out, no doubt.)

Feeling angry yet? Just wait until you're standing in a two-hour line to get on a ride with your whining, tired toddler, who probably would have been happier staying in the hotel pool.